Welcome To Forever
by Toto Yoshio
Summary: Sequel to Eternal Link. Frustrated, I took a deep breath as I palmed my head, "Seven years have passed and we still haven't settled this," I said. She sniffeld before brushing off her tears with her sleeve. "Thats because you still can't seem to get your priorities straight," her blue eyes were filled with hurt as she stared back at me. "Armin..."


**At last I have posted the sequel to Eternal Link! By the way I'd like to thank all of you guys who took the time to review that ridiculously long one shot. All of your reviews really made me feel accomplished; your kind words boosted my confidence as a writer.**

**Those of you haven't read Eternal Link it's a one shot I posted on New Year's and a prelude to this story. You don't have to read it to understand what's going on in this chapter, but it might be useful for future chapters or you might just want to check it out if you are looking for an Aruani fic.**

**I'm a try and keep this A/N brief but I doubt I'll succeed. I want give you guys some insight on this story. For those of you who have read the prequel I think it's important that you know this takes place seven years later. This story is focused on the lives of Armin and Annie but Eren and Mikasa are major supporting characters so you'll be seeing plenty of them. There will be oc characters and they will be playing an important role, but don't worry they aren't the main focus.**

**Canon Character Ages**

**Armin Arlert: 24**

**Annie Arlert: 25**

**Eren Yeager: 24**

**Mikasa Yeager: 24**

**Jean Kirstein: 24**

**Hitch Dreyse: 25**

**Levi Ackermen: 41**

**Hange Ackermen: 39**

**(There are more canon characters in this, but I'm just giving you the age description of the characters seen or mentioned in this chapter. I will give the oc character age descriptions at the end of the chapter)**

**The title of this fanfic was inspired by the rapper Logic. If you are fan of hip hop I suggest you check it out. Welcome to forever is a very lyrical and motivational song that relates to the theme of this story. The chapter title is In The end and the song is performed by Linkin Park.**

**I was right this author's note was far from short. I apologized beforehand for any spelling errors or mistakes, my laptop isn't functioning right so I have to kind of rush while using my sister's computer. Tomorrow is my 22nd birthday. I usually don't make a big deal out of this but it would be a nice present to receive some reviews from my readers.**

**First chapter is from Armin's P.O.V**

**Welcome To Forever**

**Chapter 1: In The End**

"Target at 9 o clock sir," Emma shouted to me from my rear as we continued to advance through the plane heading toward an upcoming forest.

Turning to my left I spotted a 12 meter titan just outside the forest. There had only been a few titans that had remained in this region of land outside the walls; once they were dealt with this would be yet another territory that humanity had reclaimed.

The other titans had already been eliminated by the left recon flank so this was the last one remaining within entire formation. Once this one was killed we could set up another base outside these walls furthering mankind's progress. Still I knew it was too early to celebrate, after being in the scouting legion for nine years I had grown cautious. Though this was the only titan reported in the area, I still held onto the possibility that a small titan could of snuck in undetected. I could easily recall several situations in which a five meter class or lower did something along those lines.

"Emma! Casey! Keep your distance I'll take care of this one," I shouted while slowing the pace of my steed. When I was within range I fired one of my grappling hooks into its eye which caused it to roar out in pain. Using a burst of gas, I launched myself off my horse and reeled towards my target. The giant reached for me, but I withdrew one my blades and chopped off its fingers. Whipping around the throat I came in contact with its nape. With a horizontal strike I dug my blade deep into it, easily severing the flesh. The titan fell to the floor dead and I shot my grappling hook into a tree branch and used it as my landing spot.

As soon as my feet were planted I stared at the blade I used to slay the monster. Blood covered the lower half of the sword including the handle as steam flowed from the steel. Good thing I always wore my black gloves while out on expeditions.

The titan was killed only 20 yards outside the forest entrance. Our main goal was to exterminate all giants within a two mile radius, the woodland area included. Standing on the tree branch I turned my neck slightly to the left so I can gaze into the clustered trees. _There's something not right here, Adam and Francis have been gone for far too long. They should have been back by now; their only mission was to double check the south end of the forest. _Since the forest was small I devised a plan with Eren, two of my subordinates would take the southern half of the woods while two of his would take the northern end. Since there were already a few teams inside and the forest was small to begin with, I didn't deem it necessary to use my whole squad for back up.

Jean's unit had been assigned to check out the woods, but Eren and I decided to lend him some support. He had already fired an orange smoke round into the sky to let us know that it was safe, but the most common procedure was to double check foreign places. Originally I was going to take Casey and leave the rest to patrol the perimeter of the woods, but Adam was adamant about him and Francis being suitable for the task. Unlike Emma and Casey they worked well together. Francis was the brains and Adam was the brawn.

My eyes narrowed, _these woods have a 25 kilometer radius; it shouldn't take this long to survey half of it. _"Maybe I should go investigate," I whispered.

"Nicely done Sarge!" Emma yelled from below.

"Do you ever stop kissing ass?" I heard Casey lazily ask.

"Shut the hell up you stupid bastard!"

Snapping out of my thoughts, I looked down below from my perch on the tree to see Emma and Casey waiting patiently on their steeds.

Emma Archer, a beautiful young girl, with short honey blonde hair, blue eyes and a curvy figure with just enough muscle tone to properly use 3D maneuver gear. She has a kind and caring personality. However her pride can be an issue at times and she's often defensive when it is unnecessary. Eren had once told me that Petra was a lot like Emma, but I had only spoken to the women twice prior to her death so I couldn't give him my opinion on his statement.

Casey McGee on the other hand was the exact opposite, a red headed young man of average height who was completely indifferent. He can also be quite cold and aloof, but at the same time he's very clever and level headed. To be honest he is the most talented member on my squad though I'm not surprised since the kid graduated top of his class. While being the youngest he is also the most mature and tactful among his peers. While he does have talent he lacks social skills so he doesn't work well with others. Unfortunately he clashes a lot with his teammates, especially Emma. For that reason Adam is in charge whenever I am absent.

I prepared to get off the branch when I heard a terrifying scream come from behind my current position. Then there was the sound of heavy footsteps thundering toward us. I didn't have to tell Emma and Casey to get ready because as soon as they heard the commotion they became alert, drawing their blades instantly.

Gazing down towards the earth I saw Francis riding his horse at full speed heading towards us.

Francis Beringer, a short dark haired boy of small stature. While physically he was among the weakest of his graduation class, mentally he was one of the brightest in the entire military. Since he lacked physical strength, he had a low sense of self-worth and doubted his abilities. He reminds me so much of how I was at that age that it's almost laughable, granted there was no room for laughter at the time.

Trailing him was a lanky 6 meter titan; from the way it moved it appeared to be a deviant type. Instead of running like an ape or on two legs like a human, it ran on four like a dog. Hell it even looked like one, it had big curious eyes, a large tongue and flappy ears. With each gallop it got closer to its prey. I could see the fear on his face, as he glanced back to see that only a yard separated him and the monster.

One thing confused me about this scenario. _Why wasn't Francis using his gear instead of his horse? If he used his maneuver gear escaping that titan's clutches would be no problem._ The only logical explanation was that it was broken. However there was something else even more troubling. _Where's Adam? _I had a feeling I knew the answer to my own question but I still wanted my assumptions to be wrong.

Regardless I needed to handle this before I lost another one of my subordinates. There was already a good chance that Adam had been killed so there was no way I was going to lose two soldiers in one day. Not wasting another precious second I leaped off the branch and I released my grappling hook into another tree, using a burst of gas I launched forward. The creature had shortened the gap between him and Francis. With lightning speed the titan captured him with its teeth. Now the boy's body was being held in the titan's mouth as he screamed out for help. No doubt his spine was being crushed.

"Captain Armin!" he yelled my name in agony knowing I was nearby.

"Hold on!" That was stupid of me to say, it wasn't like he could move while being trapped in that things salvating mouth.

_Damn it!_ I only had a few seconds to reach him but I was still a good distance away. I wasn't going to make it in time. _I've got no choice! _As I continued to propel swinging desperately from tree to tree, I reached into an additional compartment on my scabbard and pulled out a flat metallic aero foil. Before I even had a chance to use it I saw Casey Spiral into action effortlessly slicing across the eyes of the titan.

The monster howled in agony causing Francis to fall from its mouth and onto the forest floor. "That kid has perfect timing," I muttered thankfully as I saw Emma swing down toward the ground and scoop Francis up while the titan was distracted. It looked like we were in the clear but that wasn't the case, before Emma could get away the dog titan gripped the wire on her gear and pulled it down with force. She screamed when her body made impact with the ground while Francis had lost consciousness.

I didn't understand how the thing could do that when it had only been blinded seconds prior. There's no way its eyes could regenerate that fast! Whatever, I didn't have time to dwell on things while both of my juniors were lying helplessly on the forest floor. Contorting my torso midair, I threw my projectile with almost perfect precision. My weapon glided through the air with great speed before finally cutting through the nape of the titan's neck. With that thing out of the way she should be able to grab Francis and keep moving.

"Captain," Emma shouted struggling to get to her feet. Her left leg was severely damaged; I had good eyes so I could see her trembling from the distance, "Above you!"

I barely registered her warning when I heard a screech that sounded an awful a lot like an eagle. Lifting my gaze toward the sky, I saw a 4 meter titan falling toward me with an open mouth just waiting to get a taste of my flesh. _Shit! Another abnormal _I was trapped, hanging in midair with my grappling hooks stuck to a branch above me. I had no momentum to use my gear and I was almost out of gas. _I might as well make this last bit count!_

Activating the gas, my body bolted forward as the titan's bite barely missed my head by a hair. As it passed me Casey whizzed by from the opposite direction and slashed its nape, killing it instantly. However the ugly bastard destroyed my wire before its demise which made me plummet towards the earth. Luckily the red headed teen rotated around and caught my arm before I could hit the ground, but he was using too much speed so we ended up crashing hard and fast into an incoming tree before limply falling down into a thorny bush. After that everything went black for a while.

* * *

About thirty minute's later I regained consciousness. My squad and I had regrouped with rest of the Scouting Legion a half a mile outside of the forest. The expedition was over and it had ended with failure. At the moment I sat on a wagon getting patched up as I watched my peers take care of our fallen comrades. We had at least 29 casualties and 15 wounded. Back when I was new to the scouts such loses were usually considered minimal on expeditions, but this excursion was a simple one. Kill the remaining giants in the area and then proceed to set up the third human base outside the walls.

From our scouting reports we estimated there to be 15 titans more or less, so losing that many soldiers was bizarre. Over the years the military had advanced, using new equipment and formations to battle these creatures. Our defeat today was staggering to say the least.

"Hold still Armin," Hitch ordered. With my uniform and shirt removed, she was wrapping my upper torso with thick bandages. A few of my ribs had been broken when I wiped out after hitting that tree so my fellow blond was nice enough to tend to my wounds.

"Sorry," I replied weakly.

"It's okay; just relax your back and abdominal muscles."

I wasn't the only one hurt of course, Emma had a sprained ankle; Francis had a fractured spine and a broken arm, while Casey received a concussion. But our injuries were minor in my book. At least we were still alive.

Although I was told to stay still I couldn't help but glance over my shoulder. Adam Bayer was the only one of my men who hadn't returned. There lied his corpse on a makeshift bed with several others; his bloody body was wrapped in a thick blanket. After Commander Hange's special operation squad wiped out the remaining abnormals in the forest, they recovered the boy's body as well as the majority of the other corpses. His head had been bitten off by the titan that was chasing Francis.

Adam was a talented soldier and was always very cheerful and optimistic which was hard to find in the military. Though he was considered to be a nice guy, he was also very competitive as he and Casey were constantly trying to out due each other on a regular basis. While Casey was ranked number one in their class, Adam was not far behind as he graduated third.

After being in the Survey Corps for so long I had become almost numb. I still had feelings, but over the years I had lost many companions so I was used to seeing my comrade's dismembered corpses. I wish I could say the same for the rookies.

Each one of them was handling his death differently. Emma had a look of dread as she fought to hold back her tears. She had a crush on Adam and by the way he acted around her I knew he returned her feelings. He always seemed a little bashful whenever he talked to her. I don't want to sound soft here but I really think they would have made a nice couple.

Casey kept his indifferent demeanor, yet I was perceptive enough to read between the lines. He wasn't a talkative individual but he was never this quite. The kid hadn't uttered a word since our return to the rendezvous point. His eyes were shut as he sat on the grass with his head reclined against the cart.

The worst of all was Francis. I couldn't see his face since his back was to me but I was sure he had an expression of sorrow and regret as he stood over the lifeless body. The way he was trembling gave me a clear indication. The feeling of guilt was powerful.

"All done!" she grinned as she gave me a playful pat on the back, "I would order you to lie down and rest but knowing you I'd just be wasting my time."

"Sometimes I think you know me too well. Thanks Hitch," I told her slowly getting off the cart's edge. Mustering up a smile I nodded curtly before staggering away.

"Armin!"

I shifted slightly and turned to face her. "Yes?"

Hitch's facial expression was now solemn. Her eyes were down casted and her fists were clenched at her sides. "Don't blame yourself. This mission was a collective failure. This could have been much worse when you factor in that some of the area is still uncharted. Who would have predicted that there'd be so many abnormal titans in a forest that we had already scoped out last night?"

All I could do was nod my understanding. Everything she had just said I had already known or considered, but that didn't change the fact I had made some questionable decisions today.

"Without you some of our wounded could have been titan food. Even geniuses make mistakes Armin, think about it," and with those final words she walked off with her supplies to give assistance elsewhere.

_Damn she's grown up a lot; _I smiled watching her walk away. When she first transferred from the Military Police seven years ago she was still a selfish and immature girl. Hell she could barely pick up a blade without worrying if she'd break a nail. As time passed she started to become a decent soldier though she was never really much of a fighter. Instead she found her niche as a medical officer and she was damn good at her job.

Sighing, I ran a hand through my blonde strands while limping off to report to the commander. My entire torso was on fire and my legs felt like they could barely support my weight, nevertheless I didn't stop. I knew what she said was true yet I couldn't help but feel responsible for all these unnecessary deaths. I was not only a squad leader, but I was also a strategist and tactician. Helping the commander come up with solutions and devising formations that would help minimize our losses on each journey was another one of my jobs.

However today I failed miserably. Jean's entire squad had been decimated. Only seconds after he shot an orange smoke around into the sky him and his team were ambushed by a flock of titans. Jean himself was the only survivor and currently he was in critical condition. He was being treated in a tent by two medical officers. Not even Eren or I had been updated on his status yet so I knew it was serious.

Sometimes I missed the old days when I was still a brat with only a few responsibilities. Even back then I was still called upon for my knowledge and theories, but now that I was a grown man people expected more from me and I must admit, as a man I expected more from myself as well.

"Damn you look like shit…"

Stopping in my tracks, I lifted my gaze to see Eren standing before me. "Thanks for the compliment," was my dry response to his statement. "Why are you wondering around? Where's your team?"

"My squads getting fixed up and I've already reported to Hange and Levi. I don't have anything else to do so I thought I'd look for you."

Just like me he had changed over the years. He was about 5'10" with an athletic physique, but I was still a few centimeters taller. Oh and he also had grown a goatee, much to Mikasa's dismay. Though he had matured with time, he still was a bit of a hot head yet he was less impulsive. Since Mikasa had to retire from the recon corps to take care of their daughter he had to become more liable.

Strangely enough her absence made him an all-around better soldier. He became more aware of his surroundings and his judgment skills were sharper. No one could ever replace Mikasa's incredible talent, but Eren was doing his best to fill the void that his wife left. When it came to killing titans she was still superior, but I'd like to say he's even better than the members of Corporal's deceased special op squad. When you add that to his titan shifting ability he's an overwhelming threat.

Needless to say, my overly passionate friend pulled me to the side so we can have a little chat. We couldn't move too far from camp, but we still needed to create enough distance so are conversation could remain private. Ultimately we found a hill a good twenty meters away from the others.

Pulling out his canteen, Eren plopped down on the soft grass and stretched his legs. Since my body was damaged I was more careful taking my seat beside him. "Well…this expedition ended up to be a disaster. Am I right?"

I snorted at the statement, "That's putting it mildly." Reaching into my pocket I pulled out a green bandana that was slightly torn and stained with blood. Silently I stared at the material with regret.

"That's Adam's neckerchief isn't it?"

"Yeah," I murmured while gripping the cotton fabric. The kid always wore it while he was working. Whether he was slaying tians or just cleaning the horse stables back at HQ this bandana could always be found wrapped around his nape.

"I see," he sighed before smacking me upside my head.

"Bastard," I growled rubbing the back of my skull while glaring at him. "The hell you do that for?"

He glowered back at me but remained calm. Ignoring my question he asked one of his own, "Do you remember what you said to me when we first joined the scouts?" Now that was a random question. Eren rarely talked about the past lately, he's been too busy looking toward the future. But I wasn't surprised because he will always be nostalgic.

"Huh?"

"Nine years ago, when your wife revealed herself to be the female titan and I was hesitant about fighting her, you said something to me that I could never forget," Eren clarified while shifting his focus to the blazing sun that was slowly starting to set over the horizon. "I want to hear you say those words again."

Damn that was a long time ago. We were still just brats who had barely joined the survey corps. Those days were unpleasant, marked with nothing but death, despair and constant betrayal. The cycle seemed endless and after a while I stopped feeling anything. A comrade could be eaten right in front of me but all I could do was pity them as I pressed on to complete my assignments. Like I stated earlier, I had become numb to the sight of gore and death.

Suddenly he chuckled, "You know it's been so long that I had forgotten the feeling."

As usual he had to say something that would spark my interest. "And what feeling are you talking about?"

"I had forgotten what it felt like…to lose to the titans."

Just like that I had awakened. Hearing him say that ignited something deep within my very being. I remembered the battle of Trost; it was so gruesome that I had sort of repressed the memory to the recesses of my mind. On that fateful day we witnessed hell on earth, but thanks to that experience all of us became mentally stronger. Then there was the time when I realized that the girl I harbored feelings for was my enemy. I was heartbroken, but I pushed those feelings aside for the sake of mankind. I also remembered lying to Bertholdt about Annie being tortured just so I could get him to drop his guard which gave our former commander Erwin Smith an opening to free Eren who had been taken hostage. Honestly I had done that for another reason as well. I knew he had feelings for her just like me, so a part of me wanted to see him squirm with worry and explode with rage.

Yeah I know…I'm a sadistic spiteful son of a bitch aren't I?

As horrible as that sounded that was only the tip of the ice berg. During our struggle against the Central branch of the military police I killed one of them. The girl had Jean at gunpoint so I didn't have any time to think, so I acted on instinct. I pulled out my pistol and shot her through the temple. I didn't have even a second to spare and we needed to get those horses and supplies out of the city so I couldn't dwell on my actions. Once we reached our destination safely was when it had finally sunk in. I had killed a fellow human and the image caused me to vomit in disgust.

The sad thing was I hadn't even killed a titan at that point; my first murder was a fellow human being. Corporal Levi was the one who told me to embrace the new me and move forward. In fact, he told me if I hadn't dirtied my hands all hope would have been lost, which made me feel a little bit better. In reality I couldn't kid myself because I had lost my innocence long before then. In other words, forfeiting my humanity for the cause had been second nature.

Eren had been right. It had been long time since we actually suffered a real loss at the hands of the titans. For the past few years we had come a long way. After dealing with the central branch of the MP we kept progressing. Notably we had gone onto reclaim Wall Maria and our home the Shinganshina District. Most importantly we helped restore the Reiss family to the throne.

It took a few years to increase our numbers since the survey corps was down to only 23 members. Five years passed and we had recruited over a 100 cadets since we had almost been annihilated. Then there were also those who transferred in from the garrison and military police, if I had to guesstimate now I'd say we had roughly around 240 soldiers and that's minus the ones we lost today.

As a result of our success, commander of the military Darius Zackly gave us permission to continue human expansion and titan research outside the walls. Since then, mankind had been inching closer and closer to freedom.

_Now I get where he's coming from._

"Someone who can't sacrifice anything can never change anything," I whispered breaking the silence.

"Exactly," Eren smirked and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Without giving something up nothing can be accomplished. You taught me that Armin. There are people who give their time, while some give money to reach a goal. We of the scouting legion give our blood, sweat and tears every time we step foot outside the walls in hope that one day mankind could once again roam free."

"Who knew you could be so sentimental?" My sense of humor earned me a playful punch in the arm.

"Shut the hell up! I'm actually trying to be sincere here asshole!" He all but shouted with an irritant vein in his head.

"I know I'm just poking fun," I sighed while reclining my back with my arms behind my head. All jokes aside I agreed with every word he said and that's because those beliefs were passed onto him from me. "I guess I had become so content with the progress we've made thus far that I dropped my guard. Subconsciously I fooled myself into thinking that things would keep getting better without setbacks. It seems I was the one who had forgotten what it felt like to lose to the titans."

"Hey it happens to the best of us. Just know that Adam died fighting for humanity, just like Marco, Thomas, Hannes and so many others before him. Besides you killed the fucker who murdered him so you got your revenge."

Eren and his cussing habit, just another one of his _endearing _qualities.

Even so I have to admit, I had never felt this at peace while being outside the walls. Strangely enough the one responsible was my hardheaded and impulsive best friend. "Thanks man, I really needed that." In truth, Adam wouldn't want me feeling sorry for him because his death would have been in vain and his sacrifice would be all for not.

Satisfied Eren's face visibly relaxed, "I'm just glad I could make you see sense. God knows you've done it for me many times over the years."

"The oceans of unlimited salt, the pearly white ice continents, and the valleys of endless sand," I spoke thoughtfully remembering the book my grandfather had given me when I was still an innocent child. "We'll see them all one day," I stated with determination.

"The outside world," Eren whispered fondly.

"Humanity has expanded; we've set up several base camps and resupply stations outside Wall Maria. We still have a long way to go before mankind can roam the earth freely, but it won't be long before that day comes."

"No doubt," he smirked.

With the tension gone, the two of us were able to talk like we always did. This was something we always did after our expeditions to pass the time. We usually conversed about our families as well as the rumors that traveled from wall to wall. Things had changed drastically since my childhood, but one thing that remained the same was the gossip that spread within our gated society.

"Have you heard anything about Jean?" I asked calmly.

Eren took a deep breath before exhaling with hopelessness, "Not a word." He hated being left out the loop of things that concerned his friends, though he never admitted to Jean that he saw him as a friend. "They won't let anyone see him right now. All I know is that his injuries are severe."

"So this is where you brats ran off to?"

_Looks like they found us._

Slow and steadily sitting up I turned my head to see Hange Ackerman and Levi Ackerman standing behind us. They had both aged gracefully even though they constantly worked in stressful environments.

"Commander Hange, Corporal Levi," I nodded and gave them my attention.

"I thought I'd find you boys here," Hange giggled but there was a strain to the laugh which made it sound forced. "Come on it's time to get back to the walls," she commanded with her usual exuberance. Even after our failure she remained positive. As expected of our leader, "I'm sure your Wives and children are waiting for you."

"You're probably right," I concurred.

Eren slowly rose to his feet and stared at our superiors critically. "So…What's the verdict on Jean?" he asked unintentionally ignoring the given command. Leave it to him to get straight to the point.

That question alone was enough to damper the atmosphere. The news was bad that much I can tell, but I hoped it wasn't the worst. Hange opened her mouth to speak yet no words left her lips. Her body language was grim, a complete contrast to her normal stance. It was like she had an aura of sadness surrounding her.

This made me feel uneasy. No matter how bad things were Hange was always able to keep a cool face, even at times when she was hurting inside.

_Please don't tell me he's… no I can't think like that._

Hange had become fond of the 104th. In a way she was like a big sister to all of us. We had been through a lot together so it's only natural that a tight bond would be formed between seniors and juniors. Beneath his cold exterior I knew even Corporal Levi had developed a soft spot for us. Hell we were practically on a first name basis.

However Jean, Eren and I were the only ones who still remained in the survey corps, while the rest had either perished or retired for personal reasons.

He was becoming anxious and I couldn't blame him granted I can empathize with Hange's hesitation as well. Delivering bad news was never easy.

"There's no need to fear the worst. He survived the ordeal," Levi remarked putting a stop to her struggle. Reluctantly, the short man took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze to ease her nerves.

"That's great," Eren exclaimed. "Is he awake? Can we see him?"

The fact that Jean survived was good word, nevertheless it was too early to celebrate. I could tell by the steeled expression on Levi's face that he didn't wish to go into detail.

Sighing, his cold gaze had shifted to the ground for a second before quickly transferring back onto us. In that brief moment I could have sworn I saw a flicker of sorrow in his usually stoic visage. "No he is still unconscious so you won't be able to see him today. The poor bastard is lucky to even be alive and that's all you need to know for now," he told us dismissively. Pulling Hange along with him he started to walk away, "Get ready. We've been gone for too long, it's time we returned."

I scratched my head awkwardly observing our leaders retreating backs. _How strange,_ I thought.

As expected that answer wasn't good enough for Eren Yeager. Nevertheless my passionate friend was able to keep his cool. "What are you saying Levi? If there's something wrong with our comrade I think we deserve to know…"

This stopped Levi in his tracks. Annoyed, he turned around to scold Eren, but was pulled back by his eccentric wife who had seemed to finally relax. "Calm down chibi," she grinned.

Levi's usually stoic face became red with outrage, "How many times have I told you not to call me that shitty glasses?!"

"I know but it's such a cute nickname," she teased playfully.

Mentally exhausted, Levi rubbed his temples, "What the hell was I thinking when I agreed to marry your crazy ass?"

_And distraction successful,_ I thought. Without him knowing she had diverted his attention away from Eren. Classic Hange, she was the one person that can consistently irritate the calm, cool and collective Levi. The corporal wasn't sensitive about his height, because he gotten use to people reminding him that he was short. Still that didn't mean he'd tolerate people poking fun at his expense and she was well aware of this.

With Levi continuing to glare at her, Hange took it upon herself to address our dilemma. "Listen boys, I know you're feeling restless and after today's events I can't say I blame you. In due time, we will tell you everything you need to know concerning Jean. But this isn't the time or place for that discussion."

Eren didn't reply just rolled his eyes grunting his submission and me being the more mature one out of the two of us nodded, "Yes ma'am understood!"

Content with my answer, she nodded. "Good, now let's pack up and go home."

* * *

"We are almost there!" one of the team leaders shouted from the front of the pack.

_That's the best news I've heard all day._

I titled my neck back to get a good look over the hill we were scaling. Sure enough, we were about three quarters of a mile away from Wall Maria. Usually we'd be in high spirts because we conquered yet another territory, but considering the outcome of today's outing the ride back to Shinganshina was a long and painful one.

The air of the survey corps hadn't been this depressing since Commander Erwin had been pubicly executed. Hange had made a smart decision planning this expedition. Knowing that the area we were trying to reclaim wasn't as vast as the normal locations, she decided to leave the majority of Survey corps back at the Base. Our head count was 65 when we left this three days ago, it was evening now and we were returning with 36 soldiers and a handful of corpses. Who would of thought?

Not one soldier could even fake a smile, if gloom and failure held a stench every single one of us would wreak. I was riding my steed alongside Eren when I took notice to the miserable state of my team.

Francis and Emma rode in the wagon that held Adam's corpse, while Casey rode his stallion next to the cart. There facial expressions and body language hadn't changed a bit since our departure. Emma was a mess, she still had tears sliding down her cheeks, but at least she wasn't sobbing. Francis looked like pure hell; Adam was his best friend and he was the one who ended up witnessing his gruesome death. His face held the same expression I had when I watched Eren get devoured back in Trost.

I couldn't see Casey's face clearly yet distance was not the issue. The boy's emerald eyes were concealed behind his shaggy and unkempt red hair. Although he was normally able to hide his feelings with a mask of indifference, right now he was stiffer than a ruler and that told me all I needed to know.

"You're going to have a talk to them," Eren stated in a whisper. He didn't turn to look at me; instead he kept his attention on the terrain we were riding on. "You know that right?"

I sighed, "Yeah. I have no choice. This is the first time they lost a comrade that they had established a bond with. I can only imagine the hurt and confusion they feel right now."

"All the more reason to discuss their future as soldiers," he replied as we continued to push forward. We weren't far off from the gate, less than a minute away to be precise. "You remember how fucked up our heads were after our first expedition?"

How could I forget? I'm married to the women responsible for the failure of that mission, "Of course. I couldn't sleep right for weeks after that."

"Yeah and they're going to be experiencing the same thing we did. Two of my men were killed as well so my juniors are in the same boat."

Eren has been very insightful lately and it's really starting to freak me out. He's not an idiot but he's isn't known for being an observer. Maybe he took a hit to the head earlier. Whatever, he was my best friend and a little advice wouldn't hurt. Besides he had lost two of his subordinates as well so he probably gained a decent perspective from that experience. I was going to ask him to continue when I noticed he was glaring at something up ahead.

Following his line of vision I realized what was going on. Shit! I had forgotten what awaits us behind this giant door. I was so excited about seeing Annie and Abel that it completely slipped my mind. Once that bell rang and the door was lifted we would stroll through the streets of Shinganshina with judgmental citizens and bureaucrats who would gossip and ridicule us as we passed through.

"Just fucking great! Now I have to listen to these ungrateful bastards talk shit after we just got done risking our lives," Eren grumbled with annoyance.

"Now that's the Eren I know," I chuckled patting him on the back as we waited for the impending rise of the gate. The brunette grunted and rolled his eyes at my jest. Seeing this I stopped messing with him. He was already worked up enough. "Look…I know they're annoying, but it can't be helped. Just try not to curse and flip off our critics like you did last time. Alright?"

"No promises," he growled.

Hopelessly I shook my head at his response. Since I could sympathize with his feelings I was never really bothered by his actions. Even Levi stopped reprimanding Eren, when I asked the corporal why he said, "It's better that he attack them verbally than physically." After all the progress we've made and there were still people who disregarded our efforts. I'm not saying that all the citizens were unappreciative, but there were still quite a few people who didn't support our cause.

For the first time in over 100 years humanity had reclaimed land outside of the walls. Our technology and scientific knowledge had advanced greatly since we removed the fake king and the puppeteers that were controlling him. However the civilians didn't really know the truth behind King Fritz dethroning and it was better that way. It goes without saying that false rumors were spread after the fact but that was something we expected. Another problem that had been done away with was food shortage. With more access to animals, it was easier to hunt and gather.

Regardless of these milestones enough is never enough through the eyes of the ignorant. There were many people who supported us, but there still those who had nothing but negative things to say. Hopefully today things will be a bit more bearable.

My ears twitched at the sound of the bell ringing loudly from the other side of the wall. I managed to suppress a groan as I watched the heavy wooden gate slowly rise. As long as I can see my family then dealing with these people will be worth it.

Hange and Levi entered first, while the rest of us followed close behind. As squad leaders we are usually at the front of the pack, whereas today Eren and I had decided to stay put in the middle of the formation. After all the things that had gone wrong we didn't want to rule out the chance of a titan ambush on our way back so we decided to stay close to the rear.

Making our way through the streets of our home town I took notice to the civilians standing on both sides of our paths. Etched on their faces were looks of sympathy, pity, and even frustration. Most of the district supported us and understood our struggle. When we failed they also felt the pain of our failure.

"Welcome back scouts!" Shouted a young boy standing atop a barrel.

I gave the kid a reluctant grin as we passed; it was always nice to see the youth take an interest in our cause. They are the future and I could only hope that I'd live to see that same boy don the wings of freedom one day.

"What happened out there? They were much larger in numbers when they left a few days ago," A woman muttered with a frown.

"It seems they lost about half their men to the titans," her husband sadly concurred putting his arm around her.

Shaking my head with sorrow, I did my best to drown out everything, but to no avail. There was no point in denying the truth and I couldn't keep smiling falsely to pretend everything was alright. The only thing we could do was regroup at our headquarters in Trost and devise a new plan of action.

As we continued onward the murmurs became more uncaring and selfish. This was to be expected as we were now approaching the entrance to wall rose. The more privileged and wealthier civilians lived in this area. They weren't nobles but as Eren would say, most of them had their heads up their asses.

"What a waste of tax dollars and resources! Wall Maria has been reclaimed for 3 years now so they should have cut their losses a long time ago." These words came from a scruffy middle aged man dressed in a brown suit. By the looks of it he was bureaucrat.

An irritated snort came from my right and I saw Eren glaring in their direction. The grip he had on his rope had tightened slightly. _Please don't let him cause another scene_. His restraint had improved drastically since his younger days, but he still had a short temper though it was more controlled. Just when I thought he was about to flip the guy off a child called out to him before he had the chance.

"Hey papa! Papa Look over here!"

Snapping out of his anger, Eren relaxed at the sound of his daughter's lively voice. Not too far up ahead were Mikasa and Carla standing on the sidewalk waiting for us to pass by. Mikasa smiled when she saw her husband was unharmed without loosening her grip on Carla's hand. The child was known for running off when she was excited.

"Are you coming home tonight daddy?" she asked. The girl was so happy to see her father that she ignored the bad morale of the recon corps.

Once she was within reach he stopped for a moment. From his side I silently watched the spectacle. Eren leaned over a little and took a hold of Carla's tiny hand. "I'll be seeing you and your mother soon," he softly said. I couldn't see his face, but I assumed he gave Mikasa some kind of _special _look because her pale cheeks were flushed.

Letting go of his daughter's hand he kept moving.

"Uncle Armin! Hey!"

I smiled and waved at her. "Carla…"

"Abel's being a jerk. He won't play with me anymore!"

This girl is too much. Only Carla Yeager would have a casual conversation during such a depressing time. Still the child had a knack for brightening one's mood. "I'll have a talk with him later," I laughed.

She took after Eren a lot; with those large expressive sea green eyes. However she did have Mikasa's pale skin and black hair. Her energy and passion were through the roof while having a bad temper to match. No doubt she was Eren's daughter, but she also inherited some things from her mother as well. Like Mikasa she was freakishly strong and had natural talent. She was pretty perceptive to, but her cheerful nature often caused her to overlook negativity. Mikasa once told me she was like that before the death of her parents.

"Thank you uncle Armin," Carla shouted waving me off.

Speaking of Abel, I had yet to see him or his mother. _Where the hell are they?_ I thought with discomfort. Whenever I was gone I always had this feeling that something would happen to them. Annie was still under constant surveillance by the military. While I hated it, there was nothing I could do or say to change their minds. Right now I was just grateful that they let my wife and son live.

My eyes kept scanning the crowds until they caught a glimpse of platinum blonde hair tucked away in an alley we were passing. I pulled the reins commanding my horse to stop which allowed me to have a better look. There she was leaning against a wall in her usual stance, arms crossed over her breast and head down. Sitting on a crate beside her was our son Abel.

Abel is a short boy like I was at his age and he had also inherited my golden blonde hair, though it should be noted that he has the same brooding blue orbs as his mother. Unlike the both of us, his nose was of average size and shape, neither pudgy nor long. His character resembles hers more so than it does mine. He constantly isolates himself from others and he hated participating in things he deemed meaningless. This is one of the reasons Carla was always mad at him. That apathetic nature of his is what makes it so hard for him to make friends. On the other hand, Abel did get a few traits from me. He has a strong love for reading and is fascinated by the unknown, including the world outside the walls.

Annie's eyes made contact with my own. Giving me the piece sign, her eyes softened and a smile graced her pink lips. Knowing her she was probably hiding in the alley because she felt uncomfortable with the close proximity of her _observers._ The garrison guards kept a close eye on her, anticipating her every move. Since she and Abel were in such a narrow space, the guards had to lengthen their distance a little. On the rooftops that separated the buildings, two soldiers one male and the other female watched them from their positions.

I glared up at them before my eyes settled back down on my son. Impassively he stared back without even blinking once. It didn't take long for that look of indifference to vanish and was replaced with a grin and salute of acknowledgement. Stubbornness was another trait he got from Annie. I returned his salute before advancing with rest of the legion.

Now that I knew they were safe and sound I could focus on getting back to HQ. There were some reports I had to file and few other things that needed to be taken care of. We were approaching the back gate of Wall Maria when everyone came to an abrupt halt. Gasps of fear echoed down the streets followed by stunning silence.

When I turned around to see what all the commotion was about, I was shocked at the sight before me. Casey had his sword drawn and was holding it to the throat of a civilian, a balding fat man who appeared to be a merchant, a business man of sorts. Lying knocked out on the ground were two heavy set men dressed in suits.

"Why don't you go ahead and repeat that a little louder? So all of us can hear," Casey spoke harshly in his monotone as he pressed his sword against the man's jugular.

"Stupid punk!" the man gurgled with the sword digging into his throat. His expression was defiant but the fear he was feeling was visible. "Don't bite the hand that feeds you! 20 percent of my fortune is wasted every month to fund your worthless cause! If anyone should be upset it's me!"

Casey didn't respond. He just stared at the man with disgust and contempt.

"Don't look at me with those eyes you flame haired brat!" He spat not even trying to hide his unbridled hatred. "You're a dog of the military; you chose this way of life so it's only natural that you die for people of greater importance like me."

Emma had been quiet as she listened to the back in forth, but when that man said those cruel insensitive words angry tears started to fall from her eyes. This was usually the time when she'd let her temper get the best of her only this time around she was too weak not to mention emotional.

Francis was alarmed, but he knew that he needed to stop his teammate before things got even more out of hand. He tried his best to stand up, but his injuries created a difficult struggle. The damage to his spine made it difficult to move, like me his movements were awkward, sluggish and limited.

"Oh shit…" Eren gasped with wide eyes. Over the years we had all heard are share of selfish ideals from citizens, but this one took the cake. Hopping off his horse he and the rest of the healthy members of the legion started to control the crowd. A few of Casey's peers hesitantly tried to pull him away from the wealthy instigator, but the young man wouldn't budge. The kid had just got done knocking out two burly bodyguards without breaking a sweat, so they had good reason to approach him carefully.

"Where the hell are Hange and Levi?!" He shouted to me while blocking a group of civilians from getting past.

"Shit," I grumbled grinding my teeth trying to suppress my frustration. "I think we've been separated. Their unit has probably reached the back gate by now, while the rest of us were dragging our asses."

I was almost positive they had made it there, so when all hell broke loose they were the furthest away. By the time the duo had realized what was going on a bunch of people were blocking their path. While they had no problem with pushing their way through, they were still too far away to make a difference.

_Fuck… if he does something impulsive now it could sully the image of the entire recon corps and he can also end up in jail._

"Damn it all," I groaned as I attempted to roll off my steed. I could feel my ribcage flaring from my sudden action. Once I was off, clutching my sides with one hand I started walking towards the escalating scene. I used the wall as leverage to hold myself up as I advanced. I tried shouting but he couldn't hear me over the ruckus, albeit I could still hear the exchange clearly.

"Casey," Emma sniffled. "You have to stop…"

"Don't do anything stupid man!" Francis desperately shouted.

He didn't even spare them a glance.

"So that's how you feel?" Casey asked as he started to slowly ease the sword off his throat. When he had completely removed the blade, the chubby bastard started pathetically gasping for air. "I won't argue with your logic because in some ways you're probably right."

"You…little shit!" The man grunted breathing raggedly. "I'll see you dead for this brat. You hear me?!"

Ignoring the threat, Casey took a few steps back and started to pet his horse as if nothing had happened. All eyes were on him, including mine. I was only 9 meters away when I lost my balance and started to fall. I was sure I was going to hit the ground when I felt someone grab onto my waist.

"You are always overexerting yourself…"

That soft scolding tone…

Gazing below I saw striking blue eyes looking back at me. "Sometimes I think you do this shit on purpose just so I can nurse you back to health."

Annie was smiling playfully as she tried to support my weight.

"Maybe I do," I remarked with a simper. "But don't kid yourself beautiful we both know you _love_ taking care of me."

Averting her eyes she blushed, "Perverted idiot."

I smiled at her embarrassment until I remembered the chaos around us. Getting serious I began to look around for our child. "Where's Abel?"

"He's with his aunt and cousin," Annie sighed while glaring pensively at the scene before us. "What's gotten into the red head? I was always under the impression that he lacked emotions."

Casey was still stroking his horse's mane, but he had yet to withdraw his blade. Most of the onlookers including the troops thought he had settled down when in fact that was just wishful thinking. "I'll tell you about it later…It's a long story."

My body was reaching its limits so I relaxed half of my weight against my wife and observed my subordinates actions from a distance. As much as I hated it that was all I could do at the time. _Think smart kid; don't let your anger cloud your judgement…_

"I must admit for pig scum you are somewhat sensible," Casey remarked running his hand through his horse's mane one last time before his arm dropped to his side. "It's true as soldiers it is expected that we sacrifice ourselves to protect the citizens. Sadly, that includes worthless pieces of shit like you."

The business man flinched at the insult yet he didn't speak.

"Too bad I'm not a sensible man…"

Suddenly the aura became dangerous. I don't know how to explain what I felt at that moment but it was very familiar. To be honest I had felt this sensation radiating off my comrades many times, most commonly Eren and Levi. _Could this be killing intent he's emitting?_

"You see I'm sort of like an animal I do things on a whim, if I feel the urge to fight then it goes without saying that I'll attack."

The wealthy man was now beginning to sweat as he took a few cautious steps back. "S-So you're saying that you're just a beast with no conscious?" he asked sounding smug despite the trembling in his voice. "T-To think the military would let a savage like you join their ranks!"

"My sentiments exactly," McGee parted his bangs revealing the crazed look in his eyes. Smirking devilishly he gripped the handle on of his blade.

In the blink of an eye, Casey was at the man's feet with his knees perfectly bent. The speed he posessed was incredible. His sword arm was cocked over his shoulder prepared to slice through the merchant's fat neck like a hot knife cutting through butter.

At that very moment time seemed to slow down. I wasn't yelling no or stop like everyone else who was watching because there was no point to it. Since Casey was already in motion there was nothing anyone could do to stop him. My only option was to watch this young man commit homicide. Unconsciously my focus wondered over to my friends and comrades.

Emma and Francis were screaming at the top of their lungs yet I couldn't hear their voices at all. I couldn't hear a damn thing and I was almost certain that I wasn't going deaf. No it was something else. This was the same thing I felt the day Bertholdt breached the wall.

Eren had been trying to make his way through the herd of people for about a minute now, but a huge audience had already been formed around Casey and the rude man. Seriously, about half of the town had gathered in one spot.

Like Annie, Mikasa was watching with indifference but she made sure to cover the children's eyes and I was very thankful for that. Her ability to be aware even in the tenses of situations was remarkable. The last thing they needed to see was a human's bloody head rolling through the sky at the age of seven.

Finally Hange and Levi had burst through the throngs of citizens, yet they were too late. When Levi saw what was going on his eyes had bulged with anxiety. Despite the odds, Levi made a dash for Casey. He may have been in his early forties, but the short man still retained most of his speed.

Hange, on the other hand had an unreadable expression on her face. The only way I could describe it was calm and composed. As soon as her lensed eyes landed on the scene her body relaxed. If I didn't know any better I'd say she already knew the outcome before it even came to pass.

In that aspect we were similar. The two of us were always planning and making predictions, constantly preparing for the unthinkable to happen. My mental talents went beyond rationality which was a skill required of a leader. Because I possessed these traits she chose me to be the one to succeed her once she retired.

Right now my mind was running a mile a minute. I needed to decompress and assess the situation. Taking a deep breath and relaxing my muscles (well the ones that were still function correctly), I focused on the pandemonium. Then and there I knew what would happen and accepted it without reservations. When time once again sped up I witnessed steel meet flesh as crimson blood splattered into the atmosphere.

**To be continued…**

* * *

**I had to start off with a cliffhanger! lol. And the first chapter is in the books. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought of it, good or bad. This chapter was centered around Armin, Eren and the oc characters, but not all of them will be like that. You will be seeing more of Annie and Mikasa in the future. Jean too... Oh and yes Levi and Hange are married. I'm a fan of Rivetra but I'm a bigger fan of LeviHan. The way they interact with one another is hilarious. By the way did you guys see Armin in chapter 59? Because he was freaking epic! The best character in the series (Of course I'm biased since he is my favorite character) Well that's all for now. I hoped you liked the intro.**

**Till next time ;) Toto out!**

**OC Characters Ages**

**Casey McGee: 15**

**Emma Archer: 16**

**Francis Beringer: 16**

**Adam Bayer (Deceased) : 17**

**Abel Arlert: 7**

**Carla Yeager: 7**


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